JULY/AUGUST | PREVIEW
most people will never know about.
If everyone is communicative
and upfront then everything will
happen more smoothly.
“It’s very easy to separate the
men from the boys – or the
women from the girls – when it
comes to hard work. It can be quite
a shock to work a challenging 12
hour (and the rest!) shift when on
site, I can normally tell quite early
on who’s going to be left standing
at the end of the day.”
The future for festivals is
something Young has been
observing with interest and
caution. “RFID or cashless systems
are becoming more prominent
throughout the industry,” she says.
“A couple of years ago I almost
took the leap and decided to go
with cashless throughout the
whole festival, but I don’t think
everyone (including the punters)
were ready for it then.
“There have been a few teething
problems with cashless systems so
I’m glad we didn’t use the festival
as a guinea pig for the system.
Now, however, I am considering
using RFID going forward.
There’s a lot more data that can
be collected to benefi t the festival
in terms of operations as well as
marketing, but also the customer
experience is meant to be
heightened thanks to the cashless
effi ciencies.”
Speaking of the future, Young
also has tips for those interested in
the industry.
“Volunteering! Events always
need volunteers whether it’s for
artist liaison, event control, décor,
or waste management they play a
massive role in the whole event.
“Once you’re part of the team
your experience will only expand
from there but it takes a lot of trust
and hard work to get there.”
Above: Last year’s extravaganza
Right: Crowds unite
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